JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Jeffersonville Police Department is under new leadership.
A swearing-in ceremony was held for the city's new police chief and assistant police chief Wednesday morning.
Jeffersonville's new Police Chief Michael "Scott" McVoy made his priorities clear while being sworn in Wednesday morning: "efficiency, transparency and taking care of people."
The former assistant chief had been serving as interim chief for more than a month before he was officially appointed alongside Joshua Lynch, the city's new assistant chief.
"To the people of Jeffersonville, we will work tirelessly to meet and exceed your expectations," Lynch said.
This comes after former Police Chief Kenny Kavanaugh stepped down in August after 10 years as chief, but still works for the department.
Jeffersonville's Mayor Mike Moore said McVoy is the perfect choice to make the tough calls and save the police department money.
"You can never sacrifice public safety," McVoy said on Wednesday.
Kavanaugh was removed amid struggles with police contract negotiations and as Jeffersonville prepared for the impacts of Senate Enrolled Act 1. It lowers property taxes and provides homeowners a credit of up to 10%, capped at $300.
However, for cities like Jeffersonville, it also cuts funding for first responders, schools, and parks. McVoy believes staffing his police department won't be impacted.
"You take a look at where we're deploying resources, what our manpower levels look like," McVoy said. "A lot of that's budget dependent, so we have to work within our budget to make sure that we're good stewards of taxpayers for our dollars."
In August, Kavanaugh sent Mayor Mike Moore a letter citing budget concerns tied to the bill and the department’s collective bargaining agreement. He pointed to the 5 days on, 4 days off police schedule, which pushed overtime costs up 40% and put a strain on the department's budget.
Moore told WDRB McVoy is the solution Jeffersonville needs right now.
"We have to be responsible for the dollars that we are given to run our city," Moore said. "Senate Bill 1 does offer us some new challenges ahead, but I know Scott has already made some changes internally in regard to overtime, and we're already seeing the effects of some savings."
McVoy brings nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, and 14 of those are with Jeffersonville police. He's also as a District 1 Councilman official in Sellersburg, according to a news release.
"I'm confident in the years ahead that I've got the right chief to lead our city," Moore said.
McVoy is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 281 and the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Command Session 136, according to the release. He has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern University in Criminal Justice, and is on track to complete his master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration in February 2026.
Assistant Chief Joshua Lynch is a 1998 graduate of Jeffersonville High School, according to the release. He has been on the Jeffersonville police force since 2003.
Lynch graduated from the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course in 2017, earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Purdue University Global in 2021. He has served in various positions, including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Bike Patrol Officer, Training Instructor, and Crisis Negotiator.
He was appointed Division Commander, overseeing the Training Division as well as the SWAT Team, in 2012. He was appointed to command the Uniform Patrol Division in 2019.
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